The majority of UK consumers are prepared to compromise speed for price in delivery, according to UPS’s annual Pulse of the Online Shopper survey.
The report found that 55% of consumers would consider a slower but cheaper option if available. Customers also said they would consider incentives to accept slower shipping, such as account credit (39%) or a gift card (31%).
Seventy percent of consumers think it is important to research the price and speed of delivery before purchasing an item. Asked to name the different factors they considered when purchasing an item to be delivered, cost was cited by the most with 95%. Delivery time came at a close second, with 94%.
Meanwhile, 40% said they had abandoned a cart due to the cost of delivery being higher than they expected, while 28% said they had because the item wasn’t going to be delivered in time.
Free shipping was also revealed to be a major motivator. Asked about what actions they had taken to qualify for free shipping. Collecting in store, adding items to basket or choosing the slowest transit time were all cited by 35% of respondents.
The survey also covered returns policies, which 90% of shoppers said were important factors when shopping. 59% of shoppers preferred to ship returns, while 41% said they preferred to take them to a store. 72% of surveyed consumers said that the returns experience affected whether they would continue shopping with a retailer.
UPS surveyed 18,000 online shoppers worldwide, including in the UK.
